


something happened for the first time

by bananas



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Movie Nights, The Ashes 2017-18, and mitch is shirtless alot, kind of, pat is very much in love with his not-bf, sorry to all the mitch starc/alyssa healy fans, thats all really, there's a bit of lowkey mitch starc/josh hazlewood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 16:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13391454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananas/pseuds/bananas
Summary: Mitch and Pat kiss and Pat tries to come to terms with it. Badly.





	something happened for the first time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [getreadyforabrokenfknarm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/getreadyforabrokenfknarm/gifts).



> this fic is based on this lovely prompt i received:
> 
>  
> 
> _Whenever you have time would you mind writing a cute lil fluffy Pitch one? With a sweet first kiss and some fluffy cheesy cuddles. Maybe like a post-ashes celebratory movie night or something? And then they just keep getting closer and closer to each other and it's super cute ahh Thank you xoxox_
> 
>  
> 
> and, uh, I tried to stick to the prompt, I really did, but I might have swayed off a little bit? oops
> 
> also this fic bounces around a bit in between days so please read the italicized bit carefully to know what time and what day it is so it isnt too confusing
> 
> anyway this fic hasnt been beta'd so please tell me if there are any mistakes I tried looking myself but I half assed it
> 
> also the usual disclaimer: this fic isnt real, it's only based on real people etc etc
> 
> happy reading!

_ The Ashes: England vs Australia  _

 

_ Day 4 - 3rd Ashes Test  _

 

Pat probably looked like an idiot; smiling and clapping like a madman as Mitch leapt in the air and hugged Steve to celebrate his 150 runs. Even from as far as he was standing on the pavillion, he could see Mitch’s blinding smile and the crinkles around his eyes and the pure, uninhibited happiness on his face and he felt something tug at his heart, reminding him of what had happened the night before. He ignored it; turning, instead, to his right where Tim Paine was sucking on probably his 10th ice block now as Mitchell Starc stared at him with a mixture of disgust and fascination on his face. 

 

“Do you realize that you have to go and bat next, Tim?” Starc said slowly.

 

Tim nodded without removing the ice block from his mouth.

 

“You’re going to have to pee constantly when you go out to bat if you don’t stop eating that stuff,” he continued.

 

Tim finally popped out the ice block. “Yeah, but Steve said I can have as many as I want.”

 

Starc rolled his eyes as Pat sighed. Starc turned to him, as if just realizing he was there. 

 

“What are you sighing about Pat? Missing your boyfriend already?” Starc smirked and Pat glared at him. 

 

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Pat said, automatically.

 

“But you do miss him?” Starc’s smirk grew, if possible, while Tim just looked at both of them in turn, turning his head (with the ice block  _ still _ in his mouth) as if watching a mildly interesting tennis match.

 

Pat frowned, ignoring Starc’s attempt to annoy him and Tim's oscillating head, opting instead to watch the match (or just Mitch) as the two batsmen dominated the crease. Mitch was going to come back in for tea very soon and Pat planned to act more composed during this interval than he had during lunch and or even the night before. He was going to congratulate his good friend properly without embarrassing himself completely, like he usually did. He meant to do it during the lunch break but Starc’s suggestive looks and laughter every time Pat went near Mitch put him off and he ducked away, embarrassed, each time. In the end, he settled for a simple, barely audible “good job” before hurrying away to where Uzzy was sat at the lunch table, opting to stay (or hide) near him instead. 

 

When Mitch and Steve walked off the pitch to thunderous applause as the tea interval was announced, Pat stood up to clap with the crowd and his team. He grinned widely at the two approaching batsmen and when he caught Mitch’s eye, he resisted the urge to duck his head and continued to smile at him. Their moment of eye contact and smiling lasted all of 10 seconds though, as Shaun, almost knocking Pat over, ran through the team gathered at the pavilion to give Mitch a hug. Pat hung on to the nearest thing to stay upright and not fall flat on his face and that “thing” turned out to be Starc who turned to smile smugly at him again. 

 

“Aw, did your boyfriend knock you off your feet just by looking at you? Or wait, did he manage to  _ sweep you off your feet _ ?” Starc laughed loudly at his own joke, looking way too pleased with himself.

 

“You aren’t funny. And you need to stop trying out your jokes on Josh; he’s not a good judge of what's funny and what isn’t; he just laughs at everything,” Pat said, scathingly.

 

“Hey!” Josh’s offended voice came from behind him but Pat couldn’t have cared less as he glared at both of them and stalked into the changing rooms, towards the tea room. 

 

He was so busy plotting ways to kill Starc before the end of the day and muttering under his breath about how he could even make it look like an accident that he barely heard Mitch calling out to him from the corner of the changing rooms where he was stood with Shaun and Cameron. He realized someone was calling him as he reached the door of the tea room and he turned around to see Mitch jogging up to him, looking sweaty and exhausted but exhilarated all the same.

 

“Hey.” Mitch smiled at him and Pat felt his mouth go dry and his mind go blank.

 

“Um,” he said, awkwardly.

 

Mitch’s smile dropped slightly as Pat scrambled to reply.

 

“Hi,” he finally managed, albeit in a squeaky voice.

 

“Are you going for tea?” Mitch smiled again, crinkled eyes and all and Pat’s heart melted a little.

 

Pat struggled to compose his expression and to hide the fondness he felt and replied, “Yeah, I mean, it's only 20 minutes so we better get a move on, right?” He forced out a laugh and then stopped abruptly, unsure of why he was laughing in the first place. He felt a blush rise on his face; apparently he didn't need Starc to embarrass himself in front of Mitch; he was capable of doing that all by himself as well.

 

Mitch’s expression didn't change; in fact, he looked even more amused as he said, “Yeah, you're right. Let's go then.” 

 

He walked off into the tea room and Pat instinctively followed him in. 

 

As they walked into the room, the team gathered there began to hoot and cheer when they saw Mitch who stopped who smiled shyly, clearly embarrassed by all the attention. Pat smiled, eyeing him out of the corner of his eye subtly as everyone patted him on the back and congratulated him again. 

 

“Why are we hooting? Did Pat and Mitch finally- Oof!” 

 

Pat elbowed Starc who had just walked into the tea room behind them before he could finish whatever he was saying and schooled his expression, praying no one heard Starc or the rubbish he had just spewed.

 

Mitch appeared to have, thankfully, not heard him as he was now enveloped in a bear hug with Uzzy and Gaz, who didn't look like they were going to let him go anytime soon. 

 

Pat wandered off to grab some cake for tea as everyone crowded around Mitch again. He didn't mind it; he liked to see Mitch get the attention and recognition he so rightly deserved. Mitch broke away from the group eventually and joined Pat in the corner of the room and immediately stole some cake off his plate. Pat let him because, despite Josh maintaining that Pat doesn't like to share food, it's really just Starc and Josh that couldn't have food from his plate because they just ended up taking it all bit by bit.

 

“You’re doing really well out there.” Pat attempted a casual tone but couldn’t help but smile at Mitch who smiled back. 

 

“Thanks.”

 

Pat looked down, focusing on gathering the cake crumbs that had spread to the corners of the plate, rather than meeting Mitch's eye again. 

 

Mitch cleared his throat. “So about last night..” he trailed off and Pat saw no hint of a smile on his face now when he looked up. 

  
  
  


_ The night before (Day 3 - 3rd Ashes test) _

 

“You've taken up all the cushions.”

 

“No I haven't. Look, there's one right there.”

 

“Exactly! That's just one!”

 

“So you said I’ve taken up all but, really, I have left you one.”

 

Pat looked unimpressed. “Are you a child, Mitchell?”

 

“No, I’m actually older than you,” Mitch said, patronizingly.

 

Pat sat down right on top of him in retaliation rather than on the bare, cushionless space he’d been left. 

 

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Pat said twisting in his lap to become more comfortable as Mitch grunted under his weight and then promptly shoved Pat off back onto the ground.

 

Pat glared at him as he lay on the floor until Mitch, grinning widely at God knows what, offered him a hand to help him up. Pat deliberately slapped his hand away and stood up himself, making a show of dusting himself off, still glaring angrily at Mitch who just smiled innocently back at him. 

 

He ignored him and sat down on the sofa next to him but not before quickly snatching two cushions out of Mitch’s grip and hugging them close himself, turning a deaf ear to Mitch’s squawk of protest and his attempts to take the cushions back. He settled in to the corner of the sofa, throwing his legs over Mitch’s lap and taking the bag of popcorn in between them. He raised his eyebrows at Mitch as he pulled the bag open, as if daring him to object but Mitch only shook his head, still smiling and turned to look at the tv where the movie was about to start.

 

“Remind me why we’re watching the 6th Harry Potter movie and not the 5th?” Pat asked as Hedwig’s theme began to play.

 

“Because you said you wanted to?” Mitch said, leaning over towards Pat for some popcorn.

 

“Oh. Right.” 

 

Pat stayed quiet after that, watching the movie intently. He was still hyper-aware of Mitch, however, whose hand was twitching weirdly next to him. Pat opened his mouth to say something about it but before he could, Mitch suddenly moved his hand and rested it high on Pat’s leg, his fingers towards the inside of his thigh and anything Pat was going to say, died in his throat. 

 

He looked back at the TV quickly, his mind racing. The hand on his could be unintentional, inconsequential and it didn’t have to mean anything at all, he knew that, but Pat couldn’t help the flutter in his chest. Mitch started to drum his fingers on Pat’s thigh and Pat swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep looking at the TV. 

 

The movie finally ended eventually but Pat, even though he’d been staring at the screen resolutely, couldn’t have named even the main character at the end of it, despite having watched the movie 12 times beforehand. The only thing he was able to focus on the entire time was that Mitch’s hand hadn’t moved from his thigh and, even has the credits rolled down the screen, it was still there. 

 

He should’ve said something or done something but he just stared at the TV as Mitch cleared his throat. Pat looked at him at last as Mitch retracted his hand awkwardly. Mitch was looking anywhere but him and Pat realized that his moment was slipping further and further away. 

 

“That-that was a good movie,” he said, inwardly cringing at how strangled his voice sounded.

 

Mitch just nodded in reply, still staring at the TV. Pat swung his legs off Mitch’s lap and willed himself to think of something, anything to say that would convey the mix of emotions raging through him. Mitch got up from the sofa and walked away towards the exit of the hotel lounge before he could, leaving Pat still sitting on the sofa and cursing himself for letting the moment pass. 

 

He sat there for a minute or two more before he summed up the courage to follow Mitch. He’d disappeared by the time Pat reached the hallway so Pat directed himself towards Mitch’s room. He paused for a minute in front of his door, taking a deep breath and trying to calm his racing heart down before he knocked. 

 

“Yeah, just a second,” Mitch called out from inside the room, his voice coming from a distance.

 

“I thought I told you to come by  _ after _ I shower,” he heard Mitch say as he approached the door. The room door then opened to reveal a very shirtless Mitch with only a towel around his waist. Pat’s mouth went dry and, once again, he found himself unable to formulate a sentence in front of Mitch.

 

Mitch looked surprised. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

 

Pat tore his eyes off Mitch’s chest and stared at him.

 

“Oh, uh, it’s fine. I’ll just go then.” 

 

“No! No, it’s fine. Um, come on in,” Mitch said immediately, opening the door further to allow him to enter.

 

Pat bit his lip nervously and entered the hotel room. He walked straight towards the bed and stood in front of it, playing with the hem of his t-shirt to distract himself. 

 

Mitch shut the door and walked towards him, still shirtless, and Pat was struggling to keep his gaze trained on Mitch’s face and not his bare chest. 

 

“Can we talk?” Pat broke the silence as Mitch still stood at the entrance, looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face. 

 

“Yeah sure. Let me just put a shirt on.”

 

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Pat said, before he could stop himself. He froze as soon as he said this and felt a blush rise on his face. He looked at Mitch’s expression fearfully, trying to gauge his reaction. Mitch looked absolutely shell-shocked.

 

“What?” he finally said, half laughing in shock, and Pat wished he could melt in to the ground and disappear in that moment.

 

“What did you just say?” Mitch asked again when Pat didn’t reply.

 

“Nothing, um, just ignore it.”

 

“No, you said you’d rather I didn’t put a shirt on,” Mitch said, a wide smile growing on his face.

 

“No I didn’t,” Pat insisted.

 

Mitch was grinning uncontrollably now. 

 

“Yeah you did,” he said. 

 

“Would you rather I stay shirtless, Pat?” Mitch asked, unable to mask his happiness as Pat glared at him. 

 

Mitch walked towards him, ignoring Pat’s death glare in his direction. He walked right up to him until they were barely inches away from each other. Pat’s pulse raced and he forgot all about glaring at Mitch as he swallowed loudly. 

 

Mitch’s face was right in front of his, so close Pat could count each eyelash, each freckle individually. Mitch spoke again, softer this time, “Would you rather I stay shirtless, Pat?” 

 

He looked at Pat with his most earnest, softest expression and Pat couldn’t help himself when he closed the gap between them. 

 

Mitch kissed like he batted; slowly but with purpose and where Pat was insistent, opening his mouth and willing Mitch to do the same, Mitch slowed the pace down, curling his hands around the base of Pat’s hair and entangling his fingers in the hair there. Pat finally let him take control of the kiss, sighing into it and placing his hands on Mitch’s bare waist. 

 

When they broke apart, Pat stared at Mitch as he caught his breath. He could feel how messed his hair had become from Mitch running his hands through them and he couldn’t help but smile contentedly at the beautiful man in front of him. 

 

Someone knocked loudly on the door and they jumped apart at the interruption. Mitch opened the door and Steve and Tim barged in immediately (Tim had yet another ice block in his mouth) but came to an abrupt stop when they saw Pat.

 

Steve turned around to Mitch who was still standing at the door.

 

“I thought you said that you weren’t hanging out with Pat and that’s why you asked me and Timmy to come over?” Steve asked Mitch with a weird expression on his face.

 

“Well, we weren’t,” Mitch said in an equally weird voice.

 

“Then why are you shirtless Mitch?” Steve asked, failing to hide his smile now.

 

“Because I was going in the shower!”

 

“With Pat?” Tim asked, joining in and finally removing that ice block from his mouth. 

 

Pat made a choked sound, reminding them that he was still here. They turned to look at him; Steve was still smirking, Mitch resembled a deer caught in headlights and Tim had put the ice block back in his mouth.

 

“Oh, hello Patrick,” Steve said patronizingly. “Having a good time in Mitch’s room?”

 

“Yeah, um, I'm gonna leave now,” Pat said slowly, unsure of what was going on in front of him.

 

“Oh no, don't leave on our account. Mitch would never forgive me if I blue-balled him.”

 

“Steve!” Mitch said, looking extremely shocked as Pat mirrored his expression.

 

“No, no it's fine. I'm leaving,” Pat said, now thoroughly weirded out. He turned to Mitch.

 

“I'll, uh, see you tomorrow?”

 

He walked out of the room without waiting for a reply and he heard a loud sound of someone getting slapped and a loud “hey!” from behind him but he didn't stop till he reached his room and closed the door behind him. 

 

He leaned up against the door, taking a deep breath and trying to process the past hour. He'd gone from having a regular movie night with Mitch to making out with him to having his teammate ask if they were showering together in front of his captain to his captain saying he wouldn't like to _blueball_ them. He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking another deep breath, as he let the events of the night sink in.

  
  
  


_ Tea Break - Day 4 - 3rd Ashes Test _

 

Pat hadn’t meant to act so weird and distant after last night but clearly he had and that’s why he was stood now, in front of Mitch, staring at him at a loss for words when the other man brings up the night before.

 

“You left pretty quickly,” Mitch noted in a neutral tone.

 

Pat nodded, glancing down at his plate.

 

“Yeah,” he said, avoiding Mitch’s gaze.

 

Mitch just hummed in reply and silence settled over them.

 

Pat cleared his throat and said, “We should talk.”

 

Mitch nodded, looking serious. “We should.”

 

“After today’s play?”

 

Mitch smiled. “Yeah. Movie night? We can watch the 5th Harry Potter movie, if you want.”

 

Pat smiled back hesitantly. “Yeah, sure.”

  
  
  


_ Stumps - Day 4 - 3rd Ashes Test _

 

Pat couldn’t stop jiggling his leg nervously as they approached the end of play on Day 4, much to the annoyance of Starc next to him who told him as such at least 4 times. Pat ignored him, just as he usually did. Steve and Mitch had batted out the whole day together (almost) and Mitch had been so amazing, silencing every critic who would have questioned his inclusion in the Ashes side.

 

Mitch’s smile was contagious at stumps as Steve ruffled his hair playfully and they walked off towards the pavilions to loud cheers, raising their bats in acknowledgement. The boys drowned Mitch and Steve in high fives and hugs as Pat stood back, knowing his time would come. Mitch left him for last, when the others had disappeared off to pack up and head back to the hotel. He smiled his trademark, uninhibited smile and Pat engulfed him in a hug, pulling him close and taking a deep breathe as Mitch buried his face in his neck.

 

“I am so proud of you,” he whispered to Mitch.

 

Mitch pulled back and gave him another of his blinding smiles. They called him for an interview after that and Pat watched him go, unable to stop smiling like an idiot after him. 

 

-

 

Pat finished packing up his bag and he followed the boys out to the team bus. Mitch and Steve still weren’t back and Pat couldn’t help but look around for the familiar, tall head of hair as they made their way towards the parking lot. 

 

“He’s only been gone for 5 minutes, Patrick.” Pat jumped at the sound of a voice coming from behind him and he turned around to see Starc looking unimpressed. 

 

“I know. I was just looking,” He said quickly. 

 

He readjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and walked faster to get ahead of Starc so he wouldn’t call him out yet again. He found an empty pair of seats and sat down on the window seat, placing his bag on the empty one to save it for Mitch. Starc walked into the bus after him, smirking at the bag on the seat and took a seat right behind him, next to Josh. 

 

Pat frowned at his terrible luck as Starc sat down and leaned forward.

 

“Be a little  _ more _ obvious Patrick,” Starc said, mockingly.

 

Pat stuck out his tongue at him as a shadow fell over them, signalling the arrival of Mitch.

 

Pat immediately moved his bag from the seat and smiled up at him. Mitch smiled gratefully and sat down, clearly exhausted.

 

Mitch rested his head on the seat, at first, with his eyes closed and they settled into comfortable silence. He moved to put his head on Pat’s shoulder and Pat put an arm around him as he dropped his head down and eventually dozed off. They sat like that for the duration of the ride, with Pat stroking Mitch’s shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent slightly masked with the sweat and dirt from the day’s play but Pat found he didn’t mind this reminder of how well Mitch had played today.

  
  


-

 

Mitch stumbled off the bus when they arrived at the back entrance of the hotel, still half asleep, as Pat supported him into the hotel, away from all the cameras and fuss. They went straight up to the floor they were staying at, forgoing the dinner plans made by some of the other team members. 

 

Mitch seemed a bit more alert and awake as Pat unlocked his room door for him and he took the bags from Pat’s hands as they walked into the room. Pat watched him as Mitch blinked multiple times, adjusting to the light before setting the bags down. 

 

“Come on; go shower and then you need to sleep,” Pat said to Mitch, handing him his towel that was drying on the arm chair.

 

Mitch looked confused. “Why would I sleep? We’re supposed to watch a movie and talk.”

 

“We will. Now, go shower.” Pat handed him a pair of sweats and old t-shirt and gently turned him towards the direction of the washroom. 

 

Mitch didn’t protest anymore but before he closed the bathroom door he said, “Are you leaving then?” He looked worried as he said this and Pat’s heart melted a little.

 

Pat fell back on the armchair, kicking his legs up, placing them on the footstool and leaning back. “Nope. You’re stuck with me.”

 

Mitch smiled and he shut the door. Pat pulled his phone out his bag as he heard Mitch turn the shower on. He scrolled through his phone, checking and answering messages he’d received throughout the day, mostly from his mum and friends back home. Uzzy had even sent one, a picture of Pat and Mitch on the bus on the way back to the hotel, looking like the perfect couple with Mitch asleep on his shoulder and Pat hugging him close. Uzzy had accompanied the picture with a few emojis consisting of lots of differently coloured hearts and smirking faces which Pat only responded to with a middle finger emoji. 

 

Mitch finished earlier than Pat expected as he played around with snapchat filters, sending a few snaps off to the team gc, and he looked up from the video he was taking with the hearts crown filter to see Mitch standing at the door of the bathroom in nothing but a small towel around his waist, water still dripping down his chest, his eyebrows raised questioningly. 

 

Pat’s mouth went dry and he struggled to speak.

 

“I- uh, I gave you clothes to wear?” he said, standing up abruptly as Mitch walked towards him. 

 

“But I thought you preferred me without a shirt?” Mitch asked innocently, failing to hide his smile. 

 

“Mitch,” Pat whispered in a strangled voice, unable to take his eyes off Mitch’s glistening skin as he reached him.

 

Mitch didn’t answer; he only leaned in and kissed him and Pat kissed him back for the first few seconds, moving his mouth against his in synchrony, before he pulled back.

 

“Wait we’re supposed to talk. And you’re supposed to sleep.”

 

Mitch shook his head. “I’m not sleepy,” he said as he leaned in again. 

 

Pat kissed him again for a minute or two, unable to resist the man in front of him, until he moved away again.

 

“We still have to talk, Mitch,” Pat said, moving away from him before Mitch could kiss him again. 

 

Mitch pouted. “Fine, let’s talk.”

 

“You need to put a shirt on first,” Pat said, gesturing to Mitch’s naked chest.

 

Mitch pulled his t-shirt on and Pat immediately regretted asking him to do so as they sat down on the bed, Pat against the headboard and Mitch in front of him, near the edge of the bed.

 

They sat in silence for a while before Pat spoke.

 

“About last night and, well, tonight as well, now-” 

 

“I like you,” Mitch interrupted, before Pat could finish.

 

“What?” Pat said, shocked at his bluntness. 

 

“I like you.” Mitch said, shrugging his shoulders, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to tell your best friend of so many years that you liked him more than a friend. 

 

Pat knew he looked like an idiot, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he struggled to find words to respond.

 

“So are we done then? Can we go back to making out?” Mitch continued, a small smile on his face at Pat’s reaction.

 

“I haven’t even said anything yet!” Pat protested, insulted.

 

“Well, what do you want to say?” Mitch asked, moving closer to him on the bed.

 

“I don’t know,” Pat said slowly, playing with the stitching on the sheet of the bed, instead of meeting Mitch’s eye. “That I like you too, I guess.”

 

“Brilliant, then.” Mitch gave him a beaming smile. “Can I kiss you now?”

 

“Eager, are you? We were supposed to watch a movie, if I remember correctly,” Pat said with eyebrows raised.

 

“I’ve been waiting a very long time to do this,” was all he said before moving in and touching his lips to Pat’s once more.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!


End file.
